Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 83Entering a Village at the Wrong Time

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

83. ENTERING A VILLAGE AT THE WRONG TIME

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden, the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, Upananda the Śākyan entered a village at the wrong time and played board games with laypeople. The bhikkhu won and the laypeople lost, so they were displeased and spoke resentfully:

"In the morning bhikkhus enter the village for alms-begging. But what business do they have entering the village at the wrong time?"

The bhikkhus heard this, and among them were those of few desires and contentment, who practiced the austere qualities, were fond of training in the precepts, and knew shame and remorse. They reproached Upananda the Śākyan: "Why did you enter the village at the wrong time and play board games with laypeople?"

The bhikkhus went to the place of the Blessed One, prostrated at his feet, then sat to one side, and fully reported this matter to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the Saṅgha of bhikkhus and rebuked Upananda the Śākyan:

"What you have done is wrong, not in accord with proper deportment, not in accord with the Dharma of a śramaṇa, not in accord with pure conduct, not in accord with proper behavior—it is something that should not be done. Upananda the Śākyan, why did you enter the village at the wrong time and play board games with laypeople?"

The Blessed One rebuked Upananda the Śākyan by various means, then said to the bhikkhus:

"This foolish person is a field for planting many seeds of the āsavas, and is the first to commit this offense. From now on, I shall lay down the precept for the bhikkhus, comprising ten principles of meaning, up to and including the phrase: so that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu enters a village at the wrong time — a pācittiya.

The Blessed One thus laid down this precept for the bhikkhus. Some bhikkhus had matters concerning the Saṅgha, or matters concerning a stūpa or monastery, or matters of caring for the sick, and did not know what to do. The Buddha instructed:

"From now on, I permit bhikkhus who have such occasions to inform another bhikkhu and then enter the settlement."

The bhikkhus did not know whom to inform. The Buddha instructed:

"They should inform a bhikkhu. If one lives alone in a single dwelling, one should inform the bhikkhu in the nearest dwelling."

From now on the precept is to be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhu enters a settlement at the wrong time without informing another bhikkhu — a pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhu: the meaning is as above.

The proper time: from the appearance of dawn until midday.

The wrong time: from past midday until the dawn of the following day has not yet appeared.

Village settlement: there are four kinds of village as described above.

A bhikkhu: one who dwells there together or a newly arrived visitor.

If a bhikkhu enters the village at the wrong time, and there is a bhikkhu present yet he does not inform him — at the moment he steps through the gate of the village, he incurs a pācittiya. If one foot is inside the village gate and one foot is outside, or if he has the intention to go but does not go, or if he agrees to go but does not go — in all such cases he incurs a dukkaṭa.

A bhikkhunī: a pācittiya. A śikṣamāṇā, śrāmaṇera, or śrāmaṇerī: a dukkaṭa. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: a bhikkhu who is attending to Saṅgha business, monastery and stūpa business, or the care of the sick, and who has informed another bhikkhu; or one who passes through a village while traveling along the road; or one who has urgent matters to communicate; or one who is summoned; or one who is seized by a powerful force; or one who is bound and led away; or in cases of danger to life or danger to the brahmacarya — none of these constitute an offense.

Persons who do not incur an offense: one who commits the first offense before the precept has been laid down; one who is insane; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is overcome by severe pain and affliction.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA, PART ONE

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, volumes 1 and 2)

Buddhist Publication Committee 2002